The Dr. Hyman Show
The Unexpected Dolphin Discovery That May Hold the Key to Longevity | Dr. Stephanie Venn-Watson
26 Mar 2025
What if the key to aging well had been hiding in plain sight—inside our cells, our food, and even… dolphins? That’s exactly what Stephanie Venn-Watson, DVM, a veterinary epidemiologist, discovered while studying dolphins in the U.S. Navy’s marine mammal program. She found that some dolphins were aging significantly slower than others, leading to the discovery of C15:0—a newly recognized essential fatty acid that supports cellular health, fights inflammation, and may even slow the aging process. In this episode of The Dr. Hyman Show, we dive into: How studying dolphins led to the discovery of C15:0 as the first essential fatty acid found in 90 years. Why a deficiency in this nutrient could be accelerating aging and chronic disease. How C15:0 strengthens cell membranes, reduces inflammation, and promotes longevity. The connection between diet, metabolic health, and optimal aging. What you can do to ensure you’re getting enough of this essential fatty acid. This groundbreaking discovery could change how we think about nutrition and longevity. View Show Notes From This Episode Get Free Weekly Health Tips from Dr. Hyman Sign Up for Dr. Hyman’s Weekly Longevity Journal This episode is brought to you by PaleoValley, Timeline Nutrition, LMNT, BON CHARGE, and Big Bold Health. Get nutrient-dense, whole foods. Head to paleovalley.com/hyman for 15% off your first purchase. Support essential mitochondrial health and save 10% on Mitopure. Visit timeline.com/drhyman to get 10% off today. Get a free LMNT Sample Pack with any order—just head to drinklmnt.com/hyman. Order BON CHARGE’s Max Red Light Therapy device today and get 15% off. Visit boncharge.com and use code DRMARK for 15% off. Try Big Bold Health’s HTB Rejuvenate and get 25% off by going to bigboldhealth.com and use code DRMARK25 at checkout.
Full Episode
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Numerous studies have consistently shown people with higher C15, just like we saw in the dolphins, lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, of heart disease, specifically coronary heart disease, of developing fatty liver disease, and certain types of cancers, specifically a lot of work on colorectal cancer.
Dr. Nick Schork, he was at ARDD, which is one of the world's leading anti-aging therapeutics meetings. He said, listen, I've seen every longevity molecule, under the sun, and I've not seen a molecule that has more supportive data of being a longevity enhancing molecule than C15.
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Before we jump into today's episode, I'd like to note that while I wish I could help everyone via my personal practice, there is simply not enough time for me to do this at scale. That's why I've been busy building several passion projects to help you. If you're looking for data about your biology, check out Function Health for real-time lab insights.
And if you're in need of deepening your knowledge around your health journey, check out my membership community, the Hyman Hive. And if you're looking for curated and trusted supplements and health products for your health journey, visit my website at drhyman.com for a summary of my favorite and thoroughly tested products. Stephanie, it's great to have you back on the Dr. Hyman Show. Yeah.
And your work continues to astound me and discoveries that I think are going to hopefully make us all live a little bit longer, feel a little bit better, prevent some of the disease of aging, and We're talking about today the work you've done as a veterinary epidemiologist working with the Navy SEALs, I mean the Navy Dolphins.
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